The Brauwerk Hoffman brewery in Campbell’s Bay was transformed into a soap-making lab Saturday afternoon for a workshop hosted by Bristol farmer and soap-maker Gema Villavicencio.
Ten participants, donned in chemical resistant gloves and safety glasses, carefully measured out ingredients down to the gram, listening attentively to Villavicencio’s guidance through what was a fairly technical process.
First, participants were instructed how to mix water and lye safely. The alkaline solution can cause topical burns and, when combined with water, can emit fumes that can irritate the nose and eyes.
While harmful in high concentrations, it is an essential ingredient in the process of making soap. Villavicencio provided different types of oils to add, including olive, avocado and coconut, which complete the soap-making process called saponification.
The final step was adding essential oils to the liquid soaps which are then blended and poured into containers to finish curing. While typically, the soaps would cure in a larger silicone container, participants took home small multicoloured plastic containers with their personalized soap inside.
Villavicencio, who owns Pure Conscience Farm, has been making soaps for seven years and selling them locally.
“I had some reactions to the natural soaps I was using. So I thought, ‘I must be able to make my own soaps and I’ll make them the way I want,’” she said, explaining the reasons she began experimenting with her own recipes.
She said she started holding workshops last fall because people expressed interest in learning how to do it themselves.
Charlene Aubertin was one of those people.
“I use her products all the time and I just want to be able to do more myself,” Aubertin said. “I want to come back to more natural products.”
Mavis Klue was drawn to the workshop for similar reasons.
“I’m interested in cleaner, locally made products, and to be able to make them myself,” Kluke said.
At the end of the workshop, participants each went home with two containers of personalized soap mixtures.
